Premier League opponent preview: Aston Villa - current form and crucial players | OneFootball

A brief walkthrough of Southampton's match day build-up before welcoming Aston Villa later this week.

The leftover matches after attaining relegation are always a memorable phase for every team. It isn't a pleasant duration by any means but the thought of missing out on Premier League action for a whole season, if not for multiple years is in itself a gloomy one.

As a result, clubs and players try their best to cherish those moments to the fullest, after all, no one knows whether a quick promotion is in store for them.

Starting from Saturday, Southampton will also feel these emotions, but the players need to ensure they don't get carried away too much. Ultimately, the Saints are closer to completing their eleven-point chase but it can't be taken for granted until it's done.

Last week, a makeshift Southampton side acknowledged this fact better as they couldn't retain their positive momentum from the prior fixture.

Aston Villa enjoying their season-best Premier League form

On top of that, Ivan Juric's departure and a European heavyweight opponent in Aston Villa have taken this weekend's difficulty to a whole different level. Though the visitors also ended up on the wrong side of a 3-1 result recently, Southampton fans must not be excited because that was a Champions League quarter-final evening.

And their current European qualifying push also reflects why they can't be underestimated irrespective of their form, which is praiseworthy in the first place. Unai Emery's men have kicked-off April on a high note and they can even reach two months without losing come the end of the month.

An accomplishment that Southampton needs to prevent them from achieving for their own benefit. Yet, the worst part is that denying a red-hot form attacking unit of Ollie Watkins, Morgan Rogers and Marcus Rashford is never easy.

But giving in to hopelessness isn't a solution for Southampton. Hence, let's see if Simon Rusk and the regular mainstays do come up with a plan to mount a significant challenge in front of Aston Villa.